A celebration of seamanship
The Tasman has given up its fleet. Every yacht that left Sydney a week ago is now tied up in Auckland, sails furled, crews weary and smiling. The 2025 Sydney to Auckland Ocean Race is complete. Five starters, five finishers — a rare clean sheet in ocean racing and a testament to planning, skill and sheer endurance.
From the sleek American maxi Lucky, which roared across in record time, to Cooloola, which crossed the line in the early hours of Sunday, each boat earned its place in the story of this young trans-Tasman contest. The mood on the Viaduct was simple — respect all round. There were hugs, tired laughs, and long looks across the basin as crews took in the moment.
This race has already matured into something special. It is not the longest offshore event, nor the most complex, but it demands judgement — light air at the start, open-ocean strategy mid-way, and a tight coastal approach into the Hauraki Gulf. To complete it is to join a growing chapter of Tasman sailing history.
Lucky’s record run
If 2023 was about establishing the course, 2025 was about raising the bar. Lucky, Bryan Ehrhart’s 88-foot Juan K-designed maxi, flew across the Tasman in 2 days, 20 hours, 27 minutes, 7 seconds, finishing at 09:27 AEDT on 14 October. It was a calculated, confident campaign guided by Kiwi tactician Brad Butterworth, who knows these waters well.
“It was a classic Tasman — soft at the start, building on approach,” one crewmember said. “We found a lane and stayed in it.”
Frantic and Antipodes keep the race honest
Behind Lucky, the Australian contenders fought their own private war. Frantic, from Newcastle, crossed after 5 days, 10 hours, 26 minutes, finishing at 23:26 AEDT on 16 October. It was a polished performance in testing conditions, maintaining pace through light patches and pushing hard when the pressure arrived.
Antipodes, the inaugural winner in 2023, followed at 03:06 AEDT on 17 October, recording 5 days, 14 hours, 6 minutes elapsed. The veteran crew again showed why the boat remains one of the region’s most consistent offshore performers. On corrected time they stayed competitive, second on IRC and still the standard-bearer for long-term Tasman expertise.
“We love this course — it’s short enough to race, long enough to learn,” one watch captain said as the crew coiled lines on the dock.
Wings and Cooloola – endurance and heart
The smaller boats brought their own drama. Wings and Cooloola spent over a week at sea, trading places through the final stages along Northland’s coast. Wings crossed at 22:39 AEDT on 18 October after 7 days, 9 hours, 39 minutes, winning ORC on corrected time with 9 days, 5 hours, 30 minutes, 42 seconds. Cooloola arrived just a few hours later at 02:13 AEDT on 19 October, after 7 days, 13 hours, 13 minutes, 55 seconds, sealing a clean finish for the entire fleet.
These boats may not carry the glamour of the maxis, but their achievement is every bit as worthy. Crossing the Tasman in smaller yachts demands stamina and patience — and the welcome they received in Auckland said it all.
The Tasman at its fickle best
The weather served up a typical mix. Light easterlies off Sydney, soft running in the mid-Tasman, then strengthening southerlies near New Zealand. Strategy mattered as much as speed. Those who stayed disciplined through the lulls reaped rewards when the breeze filled.
Plot tracks show most of the fleet holding a central line before angling toward Northland for the final reach. It made for a tactical finish, particularly on the smaller boats still racing into the weekend.
A race finding its rhythm
Two editions in, the Sydney to Auckland Ocean Race already feels established. Antipodes wrote the first chapter in 2023; Lucky has now added a bold second one. Both races proved the route, the logistics and the appeal. There is no grander arrival than sailing into the Hauraki Gulf with Rangitoto ahead and the Viaduct lights waiting.
This year’s finish showed more than results. It showed commitment. From the pro campaigns down to the Corinthian crews, every team finished what they started. That is offshore racing at its best — competitive, respectful, and hard-earned.
As the last lines were flaked and crews drifted toward long breakfasts, the talk was already turning to next time. There’s every sign this trans-Tasman challenge is here to stay.
